Controller for a power supply with transition region regulation

ABSTRACT

A method for regulating a flow of energy from an input to an output of a power converter includes receiving a first signal representative of an output voltage, and receiving a second signal representative of a current of the power converter. An output current of the power converter is determined in response to at least one of the first and second signals. A power switch of the power converter is switched to regulate the output current of the power converter to a substantially constant output current value for a first range of power converter output voltages, to regulate an output power of the power converter to a substantially constant power value for a second range of power converter output voltages, and to regulate the output voltage of the power converter at substantially a highest output voltage value of the second range of power converter output voltages.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates generally to electronic circuits, and morespecifically, the invention relates to switch mode power supplies.

2. Background

A common application for a switch mode power supply is a batterycharger. The output power of a battery charger is usually controlled toprovide regulated output voltage and regulated output current. Theoutput voltage is regulated between a maximum and a minimum voltage overa range of output current. The output current is regulated between amaximum and a minimum current over a range of output voltage. A feedbacksignal is used to regulate the output of a switch mode power supply suchthat the output voltage and output current stay within the specifiedlimits.

The switch mode power supply typically has a fault protection featurethat prevents excessive output voltage and/or excessive output currentin the absence of a feedback signal. Without this fault protectionfeature, the loss of the feedback signal could cause the output voltageand/or output current to go high enough to damage the output load (whichcould be a battery) and/or the switch mode power supply. With this faultprotection feature, the absence of a feedback signal typically causesthe switch mode power supply to operate in an auto-restart cycle thatsubstantially reduces the average output voltage and/or output currentuntil the feedback signal is restored.

A sustained attempt to take more power from the output than the batterycharger can provide will prevent the power supply from regulating bothoutput voltage and output current. The control circuit of the batterycharger typically interprets a loss of regulation for more than athreshold time like an absence of feedback signal that triggers thefault protection feature.

Low cost circuits that regulate output current typically have loosetolerances. Battery chargers that use such circuits must guarantee a lowvalue of a maximum output current at one end of the tolerance range, andthey must guarantee no more than a high value of maximum output currentat the other end of the tolerance range. The need to consider theaddition of tolerances in other parameters can cause the design to becapable of substantially higher power than necessary. Failure to deliverall the power required by the load will cause the power supply to loseregulation and to enter a self-protection mode. Higher power capabilitytypically requires a larger magnetic component or a larger power switch,which raises the cost of the power supply.

Battery chargers usually exhibit an abrupt transition between theregulated output voltage and the regulated output current. That is, thelocus of output voltage and output current plotted in Cartesiancoordinates usually has a sharp corner of approximately 90 degrees atthe point of transition that corresponds to the point of maximum outputpower.

The typical practice of designing a battery charger with a sharptransition between the regulated output voltage and the regulated outputcurrent can result in a product that costs more than necessary to meetthe requirements. A controlled regulated transition from a regulatedoutput voltage to a regulated output current can allow the use of lowercost components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention aredescribed with reference to the following figures, wherein likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various viewsunless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 shows boundaries of output voltage and output current for a powersupply that could operate in accordance with the teachings of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 shows the output characteristics of a power supply that operateswithin boundaries in accordance with the teaching of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 shows the output characteristics of a power supply including afoldback region that operates within boundaries in accordance with theteaching of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of one example of a switch modepower supply that includes transition region regulation in accordancewith the teaching of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows the output characteristics of a power supply with lineartransition region regulation and adjustable current and voltagethresholds in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows the output characteristics of a power supply withconstant-power transition region regulation and adjustable current andvoltage thresholds in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 shows the output characteristics of a power supply with piecewiselinear transition region regulation approximating constant-powertransition region regulation and adjustable current and voltagethresholds in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram that describes a method of controlling a powersupply having transition region regulation with adjustable current andvoltage thresholds in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding componentsthroughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans willappreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicityand clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example,the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements to help to improve understanding of variousembodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understoodelements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasibleembodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a lessobstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Itwill be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art thatthe specific detail need not be employed to practice the presentinvention. In other instances, well-known materials or methods have notbeen described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the presentinvention.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “anembodiment”, “one example” or “an example” means that a particularfeature, structure or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment of thepresent invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment”,“in an embodiment”, “one example” or “an example” in various placesthroughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features,structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitablecombinations and/or subcombinations in one or more embodiments orexamples. Particular features, structures or characteristics may beincluded in an integrated circuit, an electronic circuit, acombinational logic circuit, or other suitable components that providethe described functionality. In addition, it is appreciated that thefigures provided herewith are for explanation purposes to personsordinarily skilled in the art and that the drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

Techniques are disclosed to provide a regulated transition between theregulated output voltage and regulated output current of a power supply,allowing a switch mode power supply to perform as a battery charger at areduced cost. As will be discussed, it is possible to avoid the highercost associated with higher than necessary power capability by using aregulated transition between the regulated output voltage and theregulated output current in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention. The regulated transition maintains a feedback signal to avoidentering an auto-restart mode while it allows a reduction in the maximumpower capability. The regulated transition may provide the power supplywith a constant output power characteristic within a region of outputvoltage and output current. It is also possible to adjust voltage andcurrent thresholds that define the boundaries of the regulatedtransition in response to signals received from a device that may usethe power supply to charge a battery.

Every switched mode power supply has a maximum power capability thatdescribes a boundary on the plot of output voltage and output current.In conventional designs, the maximum capability boundary is set beyondthe point of maximum specified output power, which is the intersectionof maximum specified output voltage and maximum specified outputcurrent. In embodiments of the present invention, the maximum capabilityboundary is set below the point of maximum specified output power, anduses a regulated transition between regulated output voltage andregulated output current to avoid loss of feedback signal that wouldcause the power supply to operate in a self-protection mode. As aresult, the locus of output voltage and output current in the regulatedtransition can be made to follow a path below the maximum capabilityboundary to reduce the cost of the design according to embodiments ofthe present invention.

To illustrate, FIG. 1 is graph 100 that shows the possible values ofoutput voltage and output current of a power supply. The broken lines inFIG. 1 show typical specification limits of output voltage and outputcurrent for a battery charger. The broken lines for V_(SMAX) andI_(SMAX) that define the specified outer boundary for operationintersect at a point 105 that is the outer maximum power point. Thebroken lines for V_(SMIN) and I_(SMIN) that define the specified innerboundary for operation intersect at a point 145 that is the innermaximum power point. The power supply need only operate between theouter boundary 110 and inner boundary 150 to meet the specifiedrequirements.

In a typical switch mode power supply, a capability boundary 102 thatdescribes maximum power capability of the power supply is set beyond theouter maximum power point 105 to guarantee regulated operation withinthe specified outer and inner boundaries 110 and 150 respectively. Theuse of a power switch with lower rated current or the use of an energystorage element that can store less energy can reduce the cost of thepower supply, but these measures also reduce the maximum powercapability of the power supply. The capability boundary for a reducedcost power supply can be within the boundaries of specified operation110 and 150 as illustrated by the capability boundary 115 in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows capability boundary 115 between the outer maximum powerpoint 105 and the inner maximum power point 145. In order to maintainregulated operation, the output voltage and output current is controlledwithin boundaries such that the maximum output power remains belowmaximum capability boundary 115 in accordance with the teachings of thepresent invention.

In FIG. 1, solid horizontal lines 120 are the boundaries of a regulatedvoltage region between V_(OMIN) and V_(OMAX). Solid vertical lines 140are the boundaries of a regulated current region between I_(OMIN) andI_(OMAX). Solid sloping lines 130 are the boundaries of a regulatedtransition region in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the boundaries 130 of the regulated transitionregion are below the maximum capability boundary 115 and above innermaximum power point 145 to maintain operation within specifications. Adesigner may choose the regulation boundaries 120, 130, 140, and theposition of the capability boundary 115 to achieve a reduced costaccording to embodiments of the present invention. Use of a regulatedtransition region 130 of the proper shape allows the designer to managetradeoffs between tolerances and cost for embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a graph 200 showing the typical output characteristic of apower supply that has a regulated voltage region of operation, aregulated current region of operation, and a regulated transition regionof operation in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.The power supply operates along line segment 220 having slope m_(V) inthe regulated voltage region of operation, regulating the output voltagefrom a no-load voltage V_(NL) 270 at zero output current to a firsttransition voltage V_(T1) at a first output transition current I_(T1).Thus, in the illustrated example, the power supply operates in theregulated voltage region of operation along line segment 220 with slopem_(V) when the output current of the power supply is less than the firstoutput transition current I_(T1).

The power supply operates along line segment 230 having slope m_(T) inthe regulated transition region of operation, to regulate output voltageand output current between a first transition point 255 at a firstoutput transition voltage V_(T1) corresponding to a first outputtransition current I_(T1), and a second transition point 235 at secondoutput transition voltage V_(T2) corresponding to a second outputtransition current I_(T2). Thus, in the illustrated example, the powersupply operates in the regulated transition region of operation alongline segment 230 and restricts the voltage and current to be less thanthe maximum power capability of the power supply with slope m_(T) whenthe output current of the power supply is between first outputtransition current I_(T1) and the second output transition currentI_(T2) and/or when the output voltage of the power supply is betweenfirst output transition voltage V_(T1) and the second output transitionvoltage V_(T2). The power supply operates along line segment 240 havingslope m_(I) in the regulated current region of operation to regulateoutput current between I_(T2) at the second transition point 235 andshort circuit current I_(SC) at zero output voltage. Thus, in theillustrated example, the power supply operates in the regulated currentregion of operation along line segment 240 with slope m_(I) when theoutput voltage of the power supply is less than the second outputtransition voltage V_(T2).

In one example, it is appreciated that a first output voltage V_(O)range from 0 to V_(T2), in which the power supply operates in theregulated current region, plus a second output voltage V_(O) range fromV_(T2) to V_(T1), in which the power supply operates in the regulatedtransition region, is substantially constant. When operating in theregulated voltage region, it is noted that the power supply is operatingwith the output voltage V_(O) at substantially the highest outputvoltage value of the second output voltage V_(O) range from V_(T2) toV_(T1), as illustrated in FIG. 2. In another example, it is appreciatedthat the highest output voltage value of the second range of powerconverter output voltages may be adjusted in response to the outputcurrent of the power converter in accordance with the teachings of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a graph 300 showing the typical output characteristic ofanother example power supply that has a regulated voltage region ofoperation, a regulated current region of operation, a foldback region ofoperation, and a regulated transition region of operation in accordancewith the teaching of the present invention. In contrast to the exampleoutput characteristic of the example power supply illustrated in FIG. 2,the output characteristic in FIG. 3 has an additional region, thefoldback region, where the output current decreases as the outputvoltage decreases.

The power supply with the output characteristic illustrated in FIG. 3operates along line segment 320 having slope m_(V) in the regulatedvoltage region of operation, regulating the output voltage from ano-load voltage V_(NL) 370 at zero output current to a first transitionvoltage V_(T1) at a first output transition current I_(T1). Thus, in theillustrated example, the power supply operates in the regulated voltageregion of operation along line segment 320 with slope m_(V) when theoutput current of the power supply is less than the first outputtransition current I_(T1).

The power supply with the output characteristic 300 illustrated in FIG.3 operates along line segment 330 having slope m_(T) in the regulatedtransition region of operation, to regulate output voltage and outputcurrent between a first transition point 355 at a first outputtransition voltage V_(T1) corresponding to a first output transitioncurrent I_(T1), and a second transition point 335 at second outputtransition voltage V_(T2) corresponding to a second output transitioncurrent I_(T2). Thus, in the illustrated example, the power supplyoperates in the regulated transition region of operation along linesegment 330 and restricts the voltage and current to be less than themaximum power capability of the power supply with slope m_(T) when theoutput current of the power supply is between first output transitioncurrent I_(T1) and the second output transition current I_(T2) and/orwhen the output voltage of the power supply is between first outputtransition voltage V_(T1) and the second output transition voltageV_(T2).

The power supply operates along line segment 340 having slope m_(I) inthe regulated current region of operation to regulate output currentbetween I_(T2) at the second transition point 335 and third transitionpoint 345 at a third output transition voltage V_(T3) corresponding to athird output transition current I_(T3).

When the power supply is operating in the constant current region andthe output voltage becomes less than V_(T3), the power supply enters afoldback region of operation where further reduction in the outputvoltage results in a reduction in output current. In the foldback regionof operation illustrated in FIG. 3, the power supply operates along linesegment 365 having slope m_(F) to regulate output current between I_(T3)at the third transition point 345 and short circuit current I_(SC) 360at zero output voltage. Thus, in the illustrated example, the powersupply operates in the foldback region of operation along line segment350 with slope m_(F) when the output voltage of the power supply is lessthan the third output transition voltage V_(T3).

For embodiments of the present invention, simultaneous regulation ofoutput voltage and output current allows a power supply with reducedpower capability to satisfy requirements of battery chargers at lowercost than traditional designs. A regulated transition region between avoltage regulation region and a current regulation region allows thepower supply to operate below the boundary of its maximum powercapability. Signals from a voltage regulation circuit, a currentregulation circuit, and a regulated transition circuit are summed toobtain a regulated transition region of the desired shape. Switch modepower supplies that operate with a regulated transition region can usesmaller components to reduce the cost of power supply applications suchas for example battery chargers or the like in accordance with theteachings of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the slope m_(V) of line segments 220 and320 in the regulated voltage region is not necessarily zero, and theslope m_(I) of line segments 240 and 340 in the regulated current regionis not necessarily infinite for embodiments of the present invention.Line segments 220, 240, 320, and 340 can have finite slopes or nonlinearcharacteristics as the result of non-ideal components or intentionalshaping by the designer for particular applications. Line segments 230and 330 can differ from straight lines to approximate more closely thecurvature of the maximum capability boundaries 215 and 315. The outputvoltage and output current remain between the lines of the innerspecification boundaries 250 and 350, the outer specification boundaries210 and 310, and below the maximum power capability boundaries 215 and315.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram 400 that uses the example of aflyback power supply to illustrate the principles of transition regionregulation in accordance with teachings of the present invention. Aswill be discussed, the switch mode power supply illustrated in FIG. 4 isfor an embodiment of the present invention that regulates the flow ofenergy to a load 420 from an unregulated dc input voltage HV_(IN) 404that is positive with respect to an input return 402. For oneembodiment, dc input voltage HV_(IN) 404 may be a rectified and filteredac voltage. For one embodiment, the load 420 may be for example arechargeable battery.

The input voltage HV_(IN) 404 is coupled to an energy transfer elementT1 410 and a power switch SW1 452. In the illustration of FIG. 4, energytransfer element T1 410 couples energy from the input to the output of aswitch mode power supply in response to the switching of power switchSW1 452 to produce a regulated output voltage V_(O) 418 that is positivewith respect to an output return 470. Power switch SW1 452 may be calleda primary power switch because of its location at the input of the powersupply as explained later in this disclosure. It will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that the present invention may be applied toother power supply configurations, including those that use more thanone power switch.

In the example of FIG. 4, energy transfer element T1 410 providesgalvanic isolation between circuits on the input of the power supply andthe circuits on the output of the power supply. In other words, a sourceof dc voltage applied between any conductor on the input of the powersupply and any conductor on the output of the power supply would resultin substantially zero current from the source of dc voltage. Galvanicisolation is typically required by safety agencies to protect users ofthe relatively low voltage at the output from being harmed by therelatively high voltage at the input. Components typically reside oneither the input side or the output side of the isolation barrierprovided by the energy transfer element. Circuits on the input side ofthe power supply have voltages referenced to the input return 402,whereas circuits on the output side of the power supply have voltagesreferenced to the output return 470.

In the example of FIG. 4, the energy transfer element T1 410 is acoupled inductor illustrated as a transformer with three windings. Aprimary winding 408 on the input side of the power supply receives theinput voltage HV_(IN) 404. A power switch such as SW1 452 that switchesthe primary winding may be called a primary power switch. A bias andsense winding 434 on the input side of the power supply provides powerto operate control circuits while sensing input and output voltages. Anoutput winding 412, sometimes called a secondary winding, provides powerto the load 420. In general, the energy transfer element 410 can havemore than three windings, with the additional windings providing powerto additional loads or providing bias voltages for circuits on the inputside or on the output side of the power supply. A clamp circuit 406 iscoupled to the primary winding of the energy transfer element T1 410 tocontrol the maximum voltage on the primary power switch SW1 452.

A switch controller circuit 450 switches the primary power switch SW1452 on and off in response a feedback signal S_(FB) 448 in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention to regulate the output ofthe switched mode power supply. In addition to feedback signal S_(FB)448, the switch controller circuit 450 may receive a current sensesignal 460 representative of the current I_(P) 462 in the primary powerswitch SW1 452. The switch controller circuit 450 may also receiveexternal system inputs 466 such as temperature information so that itmay adjust the regulation of the output power of the power supply inresponse to temperatures. For one embodiment, primary power switch SW1452 is a transistor. For one embodiment, primary power switch SW1 452 isa power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Forone embodiment, the switch controller circuit 450 includes either anintegrated circuit or discrete electrical components or both anintegrated circuit and discrete electrical components. For oneembodiment, an integrated circuit includes switch controller circuit 450and primary power switch SW1 452.

The operation of primary power switch SW1 452 produces pulsating currentI_(P) 462 in the primary winding 408 of energy transfer element T1 410to produce a pulsating current in secondary winding 412. Pulsatingcurrent in secondary winding 412 of energy transfer element T1 410 isrectified by a diode D1 414 and is filtered by a capacitor C1 416 toproduce a substantially constant output that may be an output voltageV_(O) 418 or a substantially constant output current I_(O) 419 or acombination of output V_(O) 418 and I_(O) 419 to the load 420.

As shown in FIG. 4, a bias and sense winding 434 on energy transferelement T1 410 provides power to operate control circuits while sensinginput and output voltages. Current from bias and sense winding 434 isrectified by a diode D2 422 and is filtered by a capacitor C2 424 toprovide a bias voltage that may be received by a current limitingresistor R3 416 before providing power to circuits on the input side ofthe power supply at a bias terminal 464. FIG. 4 does not show all thecircuits in the diagram coupled between the bias voltage and inputreturn to avoid obscuring the essential elements of the invention.

In the example of FIG. 4, resistors R1 430 and R2 432 are coupled acrossthe terminals of the bias and sense winding 434 to form a voltagedivider network that senses the voltage at the input and at the outputof the power supply. When primary power switch SW1 452 is closed, thevoltage on the bias and sense winding 434 is representative of the inputvoltage HV_(IN) 404. When primary power switch SW1 452 opens, thevoltage on the bias and sense winding 434 is representative of theoutput voltage V_(O) 418 for a period of time when output diode D1 414is conducting current. Since the output voltage is sensed on the inputside of the power converter using sense winding 434, the converter shownin FIG. 4 does not require any opto-coupler to transfer the outputvoltage sensing signal from the output side to the input side of thepower converter. As such, the type of power converter shown in FIG. 4 isoften referred to as a primary side regulated power converter. Inaddition, the controller circuit 428 is often referred to as a primaryside regulation controller or PSR controller.

Signal separator circuit 436 receives the voltage from the voltagedivider network to provide a sensed input voltage and a sensed outputvoltage to the control circuits on the input side of the power supply.In one embodiment, signal separator circuit 436 includes a diode toprovide a voltage sense signal 438 that is representative of the outputvoltage V_(O) 418. In one embodiment, not shown in FIG. 4, signalseparator circuit 436 includes another diode to provide another voltagesense signal that is representative of the input voltage HV_(IN) 404. Inone embodiment, the voltage sense signal 438 may include timeinformation as well as magnitude information extracted from the voltageon the bias and sense winding 434.

In one embodiment, signal separator circuit 436 may receive anadjustment input 468 to scale the value of the voltage sense signal 438so that the output voltage may be set to a desired value. The adjustmentinput 468 may be an analog or a digital signal that may come from abattery-powered device that uses the output of the power supply tocharge its battery. In one example, the adjustment input 468 may bereceived at a terminal of a controller of the power converter. Inanother example, the adjustment input 468 may be received at one or moreterminals coupled to the output of the power converter. In yet anotherexample, the terminals may be dedicated to data signals. In yet anotherexample, the adjustment may be received as a coded sequence of steps inthe value of load the 420.

In the example of FIG. 4, a current sense signal 460 is representativeof the pulsating current I_(P) 462 in primary power switch SW1 452.Current sense signal 460 may be obtained in any of several wayspracticed in the art, such as for example with a current transformer, orfor example by measuring the voltage between the drain and sourceterminals of a MOSFET when the transistor is conducting, or for exampleusing a special current-sensing MOSFET structure sometimes referred toas a senseFET that directs a fraction of the switch current to a currentsensing resistor.

Current sense signal 460 may be used by various circuits on the inputside of the power supply for protection and control. Besides protectingthe primary power switch SW1 452 from excess current, circuits on theinput side of the power supply may extract information from currentsense signal 460 to control output current I_(O) 419 as well as thecurrent from the unregulated input source HV_(IN) 404. For instance, inone example it is appreciated that the sensed switch current may beprocessed in combination with input voltage sense and output voltagesense and/or timing quantities as indicated by signal 472 from thevoltage divider network to provide constant output current in a flybackpower supply. In another example, it is appreciated that the sensedswitch current may be used to control input current to achieve a highpower factor while maintaining a constant output current in a flybackpower supply. In various examples the output current I_(O) 419 can bedetermined in response to voltage sense signal 438 and the current sensesignal 460. In other examples, it is appreciated that the output currentI_(O) 419 may be determined by measuring the output current I_(O) 419directly.

In the example of FIG. 4, a current regulation circuit 458, a transitionregulation circuit 440, and a switch controller circuit 450 receivecurrent sense signal 460 that is representative of the current in theswitch of the power converter to provide a regulated transition regionof operation in accordance with the teaching of the present invention.

In the example of FIG. 4, switch controller circuit 450 receives afeedback signal S_(FB) 448 in response to a voltage sense signal 438and/or a current sense signal 460. Feedback signal S_(FB) 448 isconsidered to be active if it is non-zero. A feedback signal of zero isconsidered to be a loss of feedback. For one embodiment, feedback signalS_(FB) 480 is active and non-zero during all regions of operationincluding operation of the power supply along line segments 220, 230 and240 of FIG. 2 and along line segments 320, 330, 340, and 365 of FIG. 3when regulating the output of the power supply.

For one embodiment, feedback signal S_(FB) 448 is a function of, or isresponsive to, a current regulation signal S₁ 454 from currentregulation circuit 458, a transition region regulation signal S₂ 442from a transition regulation circuit 440, and a voltage regulationsignal S₃ 444 from a voltage regulation circuit 446. For one embodiment,a signal combiner 456 combines regulation signal S₁ 454, regulationsignal S₂ 440, and regulation signal S₃ 444 to provide the combinedfeedback signal S_(FB) 448 received by the switch controller circuit450. In one embodiment, signal combiner 456 may be a summation circuit.In another embodiment, signal combiner 456 may be a circuit thatmultiplies two or more signals.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a signalseparator circuit 436, a transition region regulation circuit 440, avoltage regulation circuit 446, a current regulation circuit 458, asignal combiner circuit 456, a switch controller circuit 450, a primarypower switch SW1 452 with current sensing capability may be eitherincluded in an integrated circuit or assembled from multiple integratedcircuits into a controller 428 for a power supply with transition regionregulation.

For embodiments of the present invention, transition region regulationcircuit 440 provides regulated operation of the power supply withfeedback in the transition region of operation for example along linesegments 130 of FIG. 1, or for example along line segment 230 of FIG. 2,or for example along line segment 330 of FIG. 3 in accordance with theteachings of the present invention. As a result, there may be an active(non-zero) feedback signal provided by transition region regulationcircuit 440 when the power supply operates in the transition region ofoperation. The regulated transition regions along line segments 130, 230and 330 allow the power supply to restrict the voltage and current to beless than the maximum power capability of the power supply in accordancewith the teachings of the present invention. The output of the signalcombiner circuit 456 is a feedback signal S_(FB) 448 that is received bythe switch controller circuit 450.

In one example, feedback signal S_(FB) 448 may be a current. If currentregulation signal S1 454, transition region regulation signal S2 442,and voltage regulation signal S3 444 are also currents, then the signalcombiner circuit 456 may be a summation circuit, and the summationcircuit may be just a node. For instance, in one example, currentregulation circuit 458 is coupled to compare current sense signal 460with a current reference signal and produce a current for regulationsignal S₁ 454 in response to the difference between the current sensesignal 460 and the current reference signal. In one example, voltageregulation circuit 446 is coupled to compare voltage sense signal 438 avoltage reference signal and produce a current for regulation signal S₃444 in response to the difference between the voltage sense signal 438and the voltage reference signal. In one example, transition regionregulation circuit 440 is coupled to compare a combination of voltagesense signal 438 and current sense signal 460 in response to adjustmentinput 468, and compare the combination with a transition regionreference signal and produce a current for regulation signal S₂ 442. Inan example in which signal combiner circuit 456 is a node, all threecurrents for regulation signal S₁ 454, regulation signal S₂ 441, andregulation signal S₃ 444 are combined at the node in signal combinercircuit 456 to produce feedback signal S_(FB) 448, which is coupled tobe received by switch controller 450.

As mentioned above, transition region regulation circuit 440 receivesvoltage sense signal 438, current sense signal 460, and an adjustmentinput 468 in the example depicted in FIG. 4. In one embodiment,adjustment signal 468 may adjust the output transition voltages andoutput transition currents. It is appreciated that the transition regionregulation circuit 440 may receive other signals such as for exampleexternal system inputs 446 that may include temperature information (notshown explicitly in FIG. 4) to adjust the output transition voltages andoutput transition currents.

FIG. 5 is graph 500 that shows the locus of output voltage and outputcurrent of a power supply with a regulated voltage region, a transitionregion regulation, a regulated current region, a foldback region, andadjustable transition thresholds. The power supply with the outputcharacteristic illustrated in FIG. 5 operates along line segment 520having slope m_(V) in the regulated voltage region of operation,regulating the output voltage between a no-load voltage V_(NL) 570 atzero output current and a first transition voltage V_(T1) correspondingto a first transition current I_(T1), where the quantities V_(T1) andI_(T1) define a first transition point 555. The first transition point555 may be adjusted between an inner transition point 572 and an outertransition point 582, where the inner transition point 572 correspondsto an inner transition point voltage V_(T1MAX) and an inner transitionpoint current I_(T1MIN), and the outer transition point 582 correspondsto an outer transition point voltage V_(T1MIN) and an outer transitionpoint current I_(T1MAX). The inner transition point 572 and the outertransition point 582 may lie on the line defined by the no-load voltageV_(NL) 570 and the slope my.

The power supply with the output characteristic illustrated in FIG. 5operates along line segment 530 having slope m_(T) in the regulatedtransition region of operation to regulate output voltage and outputcurrent between a first transition point 555 and a second transitionpoint 535. The second transition point 535 may be adjusted between anupper transition point 584 and a lower transition point 574, where theupper transition point 584 corresponds to an upper transition pointvoltage V_(T2MAX) and an upper transition point current I_(T2MIN), andthe lower transition point 574 corresponds to a lower transition pointvoltage V_(T2MIN) and a lower transition point current I_(T2MAX). Theupper transition point 584 and the lower transition point 574 may lie onthe line defined by the second transition point 535 and the slope m_(I).

Independent adjustment of the first transition point 555 and the secondtransition point 535 may select a linear regulated transitioncharacteristic within the region bounded by line segments 573 and 583with a slope m_(T) defined by first and second transition points.

In the regulated current region of operation, the power supply operatesalong line segment 540 having slope m_(I) to regulate output currentbetween I_(T2) at the second transition point 535 and third transitionpoint 565 at a third output transition voltage V_(T3) corresponding to athird output transition current I_(T3).

When the power supply is operating in the constant current region andthe output voltage becomes less than V_(T3), the power supply enters afoldback region of operation where further reduction in the outputvoltage results in a reduction in output current. In the foldback regionof operation illustrated in FIG. 5, the power supply operates along linesegment 590 having slope m_(F) to regulate output current between I_(T3)at the third transition point 565 and short circuit current I_(SC) 560at zero output voltage. Thus, in the illustrated example, the powersupply operates in the foldback region of operation along line segment590 with slope m_(F) when the output voltage of the power supply is lessthan the third output transition voltage V_(T3).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it is not necessary for aregulated transition region to have a linear characteristic with aconstant slope m_(T). In some applications it may desirable for theoutput of a power supply to have a regulated transition region with aconstant power characteristic. A constant power characteristic maintainsa relatively constant value for the product of output voltage and outputcurrent.

FIG. 6 shows a graph 600 of an example output characteristic of a powersupply that has a regulated transition region with a constant powercharacteristic 630 between adjustable transition points 555 and 535. Theexample of FIG. 6 shows that first and second transition points may beadjusted to define constant power regulated transition regions withinthe boundaries defined by the curves 673 and 683.

It is appreciated also that a constant power characteristic may beapproximated by multiple linear segments. To illustrate, FIG. 7 shows agraph 700 of an example output characteristic of a power supply that hasa regulated transition region with linear segments 736, 730, and 737that give a piecewise linear approximation to a constant powercharacteristic between adjustable transition points 555 and 535. Theexample of FIG. 7 also shows that the first and second transition pointsmay be adjusted to define piecewise linear approximations to a constantpower regulated transition region within a lower boundary defined byline segments 776, 773, and 777 and an upper boundary defined by linesegments 786, 787, and 780.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram 800 that describes a method of controlling apower supply having transition region regulation with adjustable currentand voltage thresholds in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention.

After starting in block 805, the controller for the power supplyreceives adjustment inputs and external system inputs in block 810. Theadjustment inputs may be in the form of an analog or a digitalcommunication from a battery-powered device that uses the power supplyto charge its battery. The external system inputs may be in the form ofan electrical signal or a value of a physical parameter such as forexample an electrical resistance that changes in response totemperature.

Next, in block 815 the controller for the power supply senses the inputvoltage, the output voltage, and the pulsating current in a primaryswitch. Then in block 820 the controller computes the output currentfrom the sensed quantities.

From the computed output current and the sensed output voltage thecontroller generates a current regulation signal S₁, a transition regionregulation signal S₂, and an output voltage regulation signal S₃ inblocks 825, 830, and 835 respectively. The controller then generates afeedback signal S_(FB) that is a combination, or a function, of S₁, S₂and S₃ in block 840. A switch controller operates the primary switch inresponse to the feedback signal S_(FB) in block 845. The processcontinues by returning to block 810.

The above description of illustrated examples of the present invention,including what is described in the Abstract, are not intended to beexhaustive or to be limitation to the precise forms disclosed. Whilespecific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are describedherein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications arepossible without departing from the broader spirit and scope of thepresent invention. Indeed, it is appreciated that the specific examplevoltages, currents, frequencies, power range values, times, etc., areprovided for explanation purposes and that other values may also beemployed in other embodiments and examples in accordance with theteachings of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for regulating a flow of energy from aninput of a power converter to an output of the power converter,comprising: receiving a first signal representative of an output voltageof the power converter; receiving a second signal representative of acurrent of the power converter; determining an output current of thepower converter in response to at least one of the first and secondsignals; switching a power switch of the power converter to regulate theoutput current of the power converter to a substantially constant outputcurrent value for a first range of power converter output voltages;switching the power switch of the power converter to regulate an outputpower of the power converter to a substantially constant power value fora second range of power converter output voltages; and switching thepower switch of the power converter to regulate the output voltage ofthe power converter at substantially a highest output voltage value ofthe second range of power converter output voltages for a range of powerconverter output current values.
 2. The method of claim 1 whereinreceiving the second signal representative of the current of the powerconverter comprises measuring a switch current of the power switch ofthe power converter.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprisingadjusting the highest output voltage value of the second range of powerconverter output voltages in response to the output current of the powerconverter.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the power converter is aflyback converter.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjustingthe first range of power converter output voltages and the second rangeof power converter output voltages in response to an adjustment signal.6. The method of claim 5 wherein adjusting the first range of powerconverter output voltages and the second range of power converter outputvoltages in response to the adjustment signal comprises receiving theadjustment signal at a terminal of a controller of the power converter.7. The method of claim 5 wherein adjusting the first range of powerconverter output voltages and the second range of power converter outputvoltages in response to the adjustment signal comprises receiving theadjustment signal at one or more terminals coupled to the output of thepower converter.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein a total output voltagerange defined by the first range of power converter output voltages andthe second range of power converter output voltages is substantiallyconstant.
 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising adjusting thesubstantially constant power value for the second range of powerconverter output voltages in response to a temperature.
 10. The methodof claim 1 wherein the first signal is received from a sense winding onan input side of the power converter.
 11. A regulator circuit for use ina power converter, comprising: a voltage regulation circuit coupled toreceive a first signal representative of an output voltage at an outputof the power converter, wherein the voltage regulation circuit iscoupled to generate a third regulation signal in response to the firstsignal; a current regulation circuit coupled to receive a second signalrepresentative of a current of the power converter, wherein the currentregulation circuit is coupled to determine an output current of thepower converter in response to the second signal and generate a firstregulation signal in response to the second signal; a transition regionregulation circuit coupled to receive the first signal and the secondsignal, wherein the current regulation circuit is coupled to generate athird regulation signal in response to the first signal and the secondsignal; and a controller coupled to receive a feedback signal responsiveto the first, second and third regulation signals, wherein thecontroller is coupled to generate a drive signal in response to thefeedback signal to control a switching of a power switch of the powerconverter to regulate the output current of the power converter to asubstantially constant output current value for a first range of powerconverter output voltages, wherein the switching of the power switch isfurther coupled to regulate an output power of the power converter to asubstantially constant power value for a second range of power converteroutput voltages, and wherein the switching of a power switch is furthercoupled to regulate the output voltage of the power converter atsubstantially a highest output voltage value of the second range ofpower converter output voltages for a range of power converter outputcurrent values.
 12. The regulator circuit of claim 11 further comprisinga combiner circuit coupled to receive the first, second, and thirdregulation signals to generate the feedback signal output in response tothe first, second, and third regulation signals.
 13. The regulatorcircuit of claim 12 wherein the combiner circuit is a summation circuit.14. The regulator circuit of claim 11 wherein the current regulationcircuit is coupled to measure a switch current of the power switch ofthe power converter.
 15. The regulator circuit of claim 11 wherein thepower converter is a flyback converter.
 16. The regulator circuit ofclaim 11 wherein the first and second signals are generated on an inputside of the power converter.
 17. A regulator circuit for use in a powerconverter, comprising: a power switch; and a controller coupled to thepower switch, and coupled to receive a first signal representative of anoutput voltage of the power converter, and a second signalrepresentative a current of the power converter, wherein the regulatorcircuit is coupled to determine an output voltage and an output currentof the power converter in response to at least the first and secondsignals, wherein the controller is coupled to control a switching of thepower switch to regulate the output current of the power converter to asubstantially constant output current value for a first range of powerconverter output voltages, wherein the switching of the power switch isfurther coupled to regulate an output power of the power converter to asubstantially constant power value for a second range of power converteroutput voltages, and wherein the switching of the power switch isfurther coupled to regulate the output voltage of the power converter atsubstantially a highest output voltage value of the second range ofpower converter output voltages for a range of power converter outputcurrent values.
 18. The regulator circuit of claim 17 wherein the firstand second signals are generated on the primary side of the powerconverter.